Another Adventure
by Ripplingstorm
Summary: Random drabbles about multiple pairings and people. Genres will differ, from angst to humor, from drama to romance, and other stuff. Rating may change. Update: Lost to the Wind Part Three: in which the guild says goodbye and Natsu's team reflects on their relationship with him and Markarov reflects on his character.
1. Lost to the Wind: Part One

**A/N:** Hello! Here, I'll mainly post drabbles of things, and maybe occasionally one-shots. Could be of anything or anyone, so I'll change the rating as I keep posting, if new posts calls for it. As of now, it's rated K.

Anyway, I was feeling a little angsty so I wrote this. The prompt was: Lucy mourning over a dead Natsu. This is part one. I'll write the end later. :)

Note: this is unedited.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail in any way. I don't even own the story prompt. However, if I do get around to explaining the causes of the story, then those ideas are mine. :)

* * *

It was quiet. They were in the middle of a forest, in his little ivy covered brick house, and there were no sounds coming from the outside or inside, except the shallow gasps that came from the pink haired dragon slayer and the harsh, uneven breaths that came from his best friend. His partner in crime had fallen asleep at his side, blue fur matted, ears drooping. Happy looked so tired and small, curled up against Natsu's heavily blanketed form. His team and a few other guild members were crowded in his house, outside his room.

Lucy's hands covered her mouth, to mask the hiccups and heavy breaths that had been accompanied by a river of tears. Her eyes were red, her cheeks were stained with tears, her hair was a mess and her clothes were rumpled. She didn't care about her appearance anymore. She didn't care about anything anymore, not when _he_ was like this.

She lifted her eyes from the ground to his sleeping form. Even when unconscious, he looked so pained. His face was so pale, despite his tan. His cheeks were hollowed out and there were dark circles under his eyes. He too looked much too tired. Lucy could see that his body was thin and weak, under all the layers of blankets. Even his pink hair has lost its bright colour.

The image of the person he once was had deteriorated. His bright presence had disappeared. It's been days since they've seen his blinding, contagious grin. His wild pink hair limply splayed out on his pillow. The red Fairy Tail emblem that he had been so proud of stood out too much against the pale skin of his shoulder. The only familiar sight in the picture before her was his prized, white scarf wrapped around his neck. Only, it wasn't white anymore. It was black, with the slightest hint of deep purple.

Even though she couldn't see his body, Lucy knew it was covered with deep wounds, imbued with so much dark magic that prevented even Wendy from healing it. She knew there were deep, red lacerations everywhere. She couldn't even begin to imagine pain he was in.

As she watched him, his head shifted towards her marginally. Natsu grimaced in his uneasy slumber and his lips pulled back to bare sharp fangs in a pained scowl. Lucy smiled sadly. Even now, he was still fighting. At least that much hasn't changed. Nothing could take away his fighting spirit.

Suddenly, his eyes opened, revealing bloodshot green eyes. They frantically searched the room, before locking onto Lucy's eyes as she rose from the chair beside his bed. He cautiously opened his mouth and said, "Lucy, it hurts."

Another wave of tears threatened to spill. They gathered in her eyes, clouding her vision as she sat down on the edge of the bed and caressed Natsu's face in her hands. His pain filled eyes never left hers. She wanted to look away from the myriad of emotions that were displayed in his once bright green eyes, to stop the torrent of emotions rising in her once again, but she couldn't.

"I know, Natsu, I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Now, the tears poured down her cheeks, splattering onto the blankets.

He offered her a weak smile. "S'okay, Lucy. You didn't do anything wrong." He coughed, his frail body shaking violently. Specks of blood appeared on the blankets and more was to be found around his mouth.

Lucy worriedly searched his face for any sign of change. He pushed away her concerns and tried to sit up. "Lucy, I –"

"No! Don't talk!"

"Let me finish, Luce. I… I'm gonna die. I don't got anything left in me to fight anymore. I'm sorry, Lucy." He paused to catch his breath. When he looked back up at her, his eyes, though tired, burned with a dying flame of determination. "I want… you to take –" He coughed again, but this time, the force of it shook his entire body. More blood splattered on the once snow white blankets. He pushed her hand away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Streaks of dark red blood coated his hand. "Take care of Happy… please. He needs someone to… to… look after… him."

"No, please…" Lucy sobbed, her soft, broken pleas lost to Natsu's nearly deaf ears, despite his dragon slayer hearing.

"I'm sorry, Lucy, I really am… sorry…" His eyes began to dim, his breathing becoming fast and shallow.

Then he uttered one last phrase that utterly tore her heart apart before smiling gently and sighing in resignation.

Her eyes opened impossibly wide.

"NATSUUUUUUU!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope that turned out alright. I still haven't gotten the hang of writing characters in character... working on that. If they're a bit OOC, then please let me know! Thanks!


	2. Lost to the Wind: Part Two

**A/N:** Hello again! I give you part two of Lost to the wind. Again, the prompt is: Lucy mourning over a dead Natsu.

So, apparently, I am still incapable of writing anything short, so this short, 1k one-shot/drabble turned into a 4k+ one-shot. So now, there's going to be three parts! This part is actually relevant to the prompt. Also, I know Lucy's words might seem empty, but remember, she's extremely emotional and vulnerable at this moment. She's just rambling, because she needs to get her feelings and emotions out; anything to escape the pain. To give you a sense of time, this is right after Natsu... died.

Note: This is unedited, so if there are mistakes, whether it's with characterization, spelling, grammar, whatever, please let me know! Thanks!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

It was so stupid. So stupid. Why did this have to happen? To _him_ of all people?! It wasn't fair! Out of everyone, why _HIM?!_ Why it couldn't have been her instead? Stupid slayer. He was always trying to save her, trying to protect her. She had always been grateful. But ultimately, saving her had cost him his _life_. He paid with _his_ life for _hers_. Why? Why? Why did he do that?

"WHY?!" Lucy screamed and screamed, not caring who was there or where she was. She didn't know that anymore. She was lost in her own world of grief, boxed up in her mind. Time and place were irrelevant. She had lost all concepts of time. She lost her heart. She lost her will to keep going. She lost her determination. She lost her hope. She lost happiness, and with it, her smile. She lost everything the moment she lost _him_.

Lucy drew in a shaky breath, sinking further down on her knees. A small pool of tears had gathered on the bed she was bent over. Natsu's bed. Before this, she had never even seen him sick. It was something to do with his dragon slayer magic. But in a space of a single week, Natsu went from healthy and extremely fit to dead. Natsu, the wild boy who made accomplishing the impossible a regular occurrence, was dead, and it was all her fault.

"It's all my fault," Lucy whispered. "I killed him." The scene of the last mission they had gone on replayed in her head, over and over again. Suddenly, Lucy was filled with anger. Her tears dried up as she screamed and yelled.

"Why, you moron?! Why did you have to worry about me? Why did you look away from your fight?! I can take care of myself; damn you and your instincts! You looked away from you fight to help me?! I was doing fine! I didn't need your help! But no, you just went right ahead and pushed me aside and took that shot for me! You injured yourself for me! Why, dammit?! Why?! Why the hell did you have to be so overprotective and fight for me?! I'm not some weakling who needs to be saved all the time!" Lucy took a breath.

"You let yourself get hit, didn't you?! You pushed me out of the way and took a shot meant for me... Why didn't you fight harder? Why didn't you dodge faster or run quicker? Why didn't you punch him in the face, like how you solve all your problems?! You didn't and you died! You're so stupid, flame brain! And then, when you became sick, why didn't you fight back against it? Didn't you know that you could die? You didn't even try to fight it. You just took it. You just let yourself become sick and let yourself die. You just LET yourself die! Weren't you thinking about us?! About what would happen if you were gone?! How could you do that to them? How could you just opt out of living?! How could you just take the easy way out and leave everyone else to suffer? How could you do that to them? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?!"

Lucy sobbed again, her loud cries reaching out to the forest. "Why did you do that? Why did you intercept that shot meant for me? Why did you just allow yourself to get hit? Why did you have to save me? ... Why did you trade your life for mine?"

"You weren't supposed to die, dammit. I was. You just… died for me. Why did you do that? Was I really worth it? Was my life really worth yours? I don't think it was worth it, because now you're gone. You just left me here and I have nowhere to go now. I don't know what I'll do now. You were my best friend, even though I hated the way you never knock on my door. You were a part of my everything, and now you're just _gone_. What am I supposed to do? How can I do anything without being reminded of you? How can I go on missions without you and not have to lose half the reward money? How could I just go on and pretend like you're still here? Or like you were never here?"

"I'll tell you what. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't want to do anything now, I just want to cry and cry and cry. I just want let go of everything and give up. I just don't care about anything anymore, because now _you're gone_. I want to give up on life. But I know I can't, because I owe you this life of mine. You saved me, and I can't just throw that away. I have to live on, for your sake. I have to keep trying and not give up, because I know you wouldn't want to see me like this. You would be upset that I just gave up. But I don't know if I can. I don't know if anything I do will make up for what happened. I'm sorry, Natsu. It's all my fault. I should have appreciated you. I always yelled at you and blamed you for destroying towns and not getting reward money. But it was _you._ And now, I can't even think about anything without circling back to you. I can't do _anything_ without being reminded of you, and it hurts. It hurts so much, because everything I do, say, feel and remember reminds me of you and I just want to give up."

"You just died, and I'm already like this. It's pathetic, isn't it? I'm on the verge of breaking and it hasn't even been so long since you left. Or maybe I'm already broken. Maybe inside, I'm already dead. I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. You're gone, and everything just dropped from under me. The ground just crumbled, and it feels like I'm falling. I'm not sure if I can save myself. Not this time. It hurts so much, in my heart. How do you expect me to deal with this? It's all my fault that you're dead. I don't know how I'm supposed to go on living with that knowledge. I don't deserve to be here, Natsu, you idiot. But I am, and I don't even know what to do with myself anymore. I can't just pretend like you're still here. I can't pretend like you were never here. No one can, because the guild wouldn't be the same with you."

Lucy cried silently as she whispered. The constant drip of tears onto the bloodied blankets matched the splatter of raindrops outside. "Look, Natsu. It's raining outside. Even the sky is crying for you. You would have hated it so much. Or maybe it's Juvia's tears? I don't know. I just… I just…"

She lifted her head to look at Natsu's unusually pale face. He looked at ease, peaceful, almost. Suddenly, she was aware. She saw the people crowded in Natsu's bedroom. She heard their cries and wails and sobs and yells and screams and whispers. She felt their distraught, their guilt, their regret, their despair. She was aware of everything. Lucy cried harder.

"You just went and died! Didn't you know what it would do to us? To me?! You left us with broken hearts and torn souls, Natsu! How are we supposed to fix that? How are we supposed to keep on living like before? We can't!" Lucy felt something brush at the back of her neck. When she turned around, teary eyed, there was no one there. "That's not what you want, is it. You can't stand this, I know that you can't. Of course you can't. You wouldn't want to see us like this, so pathetically crying over you. I know we should eventually learn to move forward. We're supposed to help each other stand up. We're supposed to move one and cover up that hole in our hearts. We're supposed to be ourselves. We're supposed to keep on living our lives. We're supposed to keep smiling every day, to keep laughing. We're supposed to! I know that! But we _can't!_ We can't!"

"Natsu… I hate you. I hate you for doing this to us. I hate you for dying for me. I hate you for being so protective. I hate you. I hate you. I _hate_ you. You're not allowed to just leave and think everything will be fine. You're now allowed to do things like break people's hearts! You're not allowed to do anything but be yourself and be alive! Why Natsu?! Why couldn't you just stay alive? It's all I want. I would give anything to see you alive again. Anything. All I want is to see you alive and well. I don't care if you're breaking into my house. I don't care if you fight with Gray. I don't care if you destroy towns. All I want is for you to come back and be alive. All I want. Is it so much to ask…? Why… Why did you have to die? Why…? Why… Natsu… why…"

As Lucy trailed off, she stared through blurry eyes at Natsu's pale face and grabbed his ice cold hand. The rain kept pouring outside. Thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and raindrops became ice as then neared the ground. Everyone in the room and even those outside, in the rest of his little house, kept crying and mourning over _him_. Their tears wouldn't stop for a long time, Lucy knew, just like her own. Even though her voice had become hoarse, her tears never stopped flowing. She didn't know how long she sat like that, holding onto Natsu's hand, holding onto that last bit of her sanity.

Finally, too tired to even move, Lucy's red eyes closed and she fell forward onto Natsu's cold blanket covered body, swept away into haunted dreams of her pink haired dragon slayer.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope this part is okay too, and not too boring. Please drop a review if you have time; feedback is appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	3. Lost to the Wind: Part Three

**A/N:** Hello again! I present the third and last part of this very short turned super long drabble! I suppose it's a three-shot now, huh... Do you think I should post this story as a completely separate story? Please me know!

Okay, so in this part, the guild holds Natsu's funeral of sorts. About the gravestone inscription... could anyone give me some feedback on that? I'm feeling a bit iffy; I'm not sure if it's decent or not. Thanks.

I am sorry about the lack of dialogue in this story. I promise I don't usually write like that. I think. There's a lot of reflection in this chapter. :)

Just a note: if you guys want a time frame, this would have taken place before the Tenrou Island arc. Also, the characters might seem a bit OOC in this; you have to keep in mind that _Natsu_ is dead and this short story thing consists mostly of reflection of Natsu as a person.

Let me know if there are mistakes!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail, including the characters and their characteristics.

* * *

It was a relatively nice day when they said their goodbyes. The sun was shining brightly and the wind blew softly. Brilliant green leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze. Flowers of all colours were in full bloom. It was a beautiful scene.

Yet, however perfect it was, it greatly contrasted the sombre mood of those present. All of Fairy Tail stood around an ornate gravestone, holding in tears and stifling sobs. They didn't dare to cry so loudly, because it wouldn't be what _he_ would have wanted. He would have scolded them and yelled and screamed at them to pick themselves up and get on with their lives, to stop crying so much for him. Then he would have tried to comfort them, to tell them it was all okay, that he wasn't dead as long as they kept him in their hearts and _remembered_ him. He would have ordered them to help each other up and keep moving forward. He wouldn't have wanted them to be like this.

Erza clearly remembered the vision she had when she decided to sacrifice her life to save her friends at the Tower of Heaven. Natsu had done just that, yelling at everyone that she wasn't dead, and kicking the flowers away. He… he had _always_ believed. But this time, it wasn't about believing. He really was dead. They saw his physical condition deteriorate before their own eyes. Erza choked back a wail of grief. How could they still believe?

Gray stood with a hand pressed tightly against his eyes. That flaming bastard was actually making him cry for him, damn it! He was probably floating around somewhere right now, laughing his ass off. Of course Natsu would do that. Somehow, that thought didn't make Gray irritated. It almost brought a small smile to his lips. Almost. Instead, tears escaped from behind his hand and rolled down his face, splattering on his shirt. His shirt. Natsu would be shocked to know that Gray had actually kept his shirt on the entire time. Natsu… he, however annoying that flame head was and however much Gray hated his fire, he couldn't hate the way it burned so brightly and kept everyone alive, when everything was lost. Gray couldn't hate the way Natsu's irritating grin, complete with fangs, brightened up the room in an instant. He also couldn't hate the way Natsu was always looking for a fight nor could Gray hate the he made fun of him. He couldn't hate _any_ of it, because it was all Natsu, who was, in the end, his _brother_ in all but blood. And now that brother was dead, and along with him, his best friend.

Happy stared at Natsu's gravestone. Natsu's gravestone. He was… Natsu was really gone this time. He wouldn't jump back up and laugh at all of them for falling for his joke. He _couldn't_ , because his body had been cremated. Natsu, his best friend, his partner, his foster father, his _hero_ , was gone. He was gone. What was Happy supposed to do now? How was he going to make fun of his and Lucy's relationship now? Who was he supposed to plan pranks with? Who was he supposed help in battle? Who was he supposed to go to when he got hurt? Who was he supposed to turn to when he was sad? Natsu was gone. There was no one left for Happy. The partner he had been with his whole life was simply gone. Happy stared, not fighting back the tears welling up once again. Natsu was gone. There was nothing left.

"Natsu… come back, please…" Happy cried, his lost tone carrying over the entire crowd.

Wendy cried softly, face hidden behind both hands. Natsu, the person she looked up to the most, was now ashes, his body burned by the element he so loved and treasured. Natsu was like an older brother to her. She admired him not only for his determination and power, but also his love, his fierce loyalty, his bright smile, and his uncanny ability to uplift everyone in desperate times. He was her role model. She wanted to be able to do what he did. She wanted to be just like her big brother. But now that brother was dead. Natsu was dead, and the closest thing she ever had to a blood family since Grandine was gone with him. Who would encourage her now? Who would ruffle her hair the way he did? Who would be the fun, silly brother that he had been? Who? There was no one to take his place, even if she had wanted there to be. A large space had been left when he died and taken part of her heart with him. It was a space no one else could fill. Wendy kept crying. There was nothing else to do.

"Natsu-nii," she whispered, "thank you for everything. Thank you very much." The hearts of those who heard her broke just that much more.

Natsu Dragneel was gone, and with him, he took the heart and life of Fairy Tail. He took their happiness and left only crushing grief. His presence was gone, and with it, the guild's spirit. It would not be the same without him. There wouldn't be a daily brawl. There wouldn't be the lively bickering. There wouldn't be anything but silence and tension in the space that he used to fill. Maybe, for a while, they could go on like usual and pretend he went on a mission. But how long would that façade last before crumbling? Exactly how much time would pass before they couldn't deny the situation any longer?

They couldn't ignore the fact that the one with the brightest presence out of all of them was simply gone. He had been too much a part of the guild for that. The death of a family member couldn't be just be brushed off. It cut deep into all of their hearts. Even the Master stood, not ashamed of the tears glittering on his cheeks.

Taking a deep breath, Markarov turned to his guild, back facing Natsu's grave. He was silent for a moment before beginning. "As you all know, we're here because Natsu… Natsu is dead." His voice had a slight shake to it. The Master swallowed thickly before continuing.

"Natsu Dragneel was a mage of Fairy Tail. He was a loud, obnoxious, destructive, impulsive, a little arrogant, confident and insufferable brat. He was always battle ready, prepared to fight anyone over anything. However, he was also caring, loyal, devoting, loving, empathetic, passionate, understanding and encouraging. While Natsu might have been oblivious to some things, he was a genius when it came to battle strategies. He lived and breathed anything even remotely related to fighting. He was one hell of a dragon slayer. He had a brilliant personality, a charming and blindingly bright smile, always an upbeat attitude and a positive outlook on all things. He was sometimes a little aggressive, a bit too daring, a tad too bold, but it all matched who he was, the hot-headed, reckless teenage boy; the _fire_ dragon slayer. He was sometimes just as volatile as the fire he ate, just as explosive, just as fiery and just as warm. _Our_ fire dragon slayer."

"Natsu, the boy known throughout all of Fiore as Salamander, burned brighter than any person I have ever seen. His fire burned bright for anyone. To those he loved and cared for, his family members – the guild, his fire was always warm and welcoming. It burned with the inviting warmth of love without fail."

"His constantly bright disposition lit up the room, immediately brightening the atmosphere with contagious cheerfulness. He had such an uncanny ability to uplift anyone in the darkest and the most desperate of situations. He made overcoming impossible situations seem almost natural. He always loved a good challenge."

"However, this last obstacle was one mountain he could not climb. Natsu valiantly fought a losing battle with himself. Even until the end, his fighting spirit remained unchanged. He gave this last battle everything he had and refused to give in. In the end, though his body succumbed, his spirit didn't. He fought to the very end. So typical and so _Natsu_."

"Though he's gone, Natsu will remain in all of our hearts. We will keep alive the memory of him. We will keep on living like he would want us too. We'll all keep alive his legacy. We will each take on a part of his role, to fulfil the space he left behind. He won't ever be forgotten, because he was family; he was a mage of Fairy Tail."

Markarov turned to face Natsu's grave. They all stood in silence for a few minutes as the wind blew around them, and gave their own eulogy in silence.

Natsu's grave was quite beautiful, to tell the truth. The cast shape of the grave stone was a perfect flame. A dragon was curled around base, as if guarding the fire. Its eyes glittered with a bright red sparkle and its jaw was open in a roar, sharp stone fangs jutting from its mouth. The detail of the dragon's body was fine; every scale had been carefully outlined. It could be called a masterpiece. The words on the gravestone matched the design; the letters had been carefully etched into the stone in neat rows.

 _Natsu Dragneel_

 _Prince of Fire_

 _Son of Igneel, King of Fire Dragons_

 _Died x790_

 _In memory of a loving brother, a surrogate father,_

 _A trustworthy team mate, a precious family member,_

 _An honest friend, a perfect partner,_

 _A beloved son, a capable fighter and above all,_

 _A hero._

 _Natsu Dragneel, "Salamander", the moronic fire dragon slayer._

 _May he, the blazing hero, rest in peace._

Minutes later, the Master slowly walked to stand directly in front of Natsu's grave stone and picked up a clear jar half filled with his ashes. He turned back and held it out to Happy. "It's time."

They grabbed a handful of his ashes, each of his team members. They went to stand at the edge of the cliff, dangerously close to the edge. It was how _he_ would have stood. The wind picked up, whipping their hair around and blowing away the tears rolling down their faces. The rest of Fairy Tail solemnly stood behind them, tears glittering on their faces as well as they said their silent goodbyes.

Lucy stretched out her arm, holding out her fistful of ashes. This was it. They were letting him go. Setting him free. Lips tightly pressed together, she fought back another wave of emotions and slowly opened her hand. One by one, the others did the same. The fierce wind blew the particles from her palm into the wind currents. She watched as the dark grey ashes retreated from sight, carried by the wind to the ocean.

"Goodbye, Natsu." Lucy whispered, in a soft, teary, heartbroken voice.

Just like that, he was gone. Lost to the wind.

* * *

Later, months later, after she had finally gotten back on her own two feet with the help of the guild, Lucy would remember that last phrase Natsu had whispered. She would remember his last sentence, said with his last breath. She would fall to her knees in her bedroom, and bury her head into her folded arms, and cry a river of tears of regret and guilt.

Her heart would break once again, when she had finally put it back together and learned to live without him, that missing puzzle piece. She would be hit with all those emotions and feelings she had locked away after _he_ was gone, and would crumble under its intensity. She would break once again, and would stay broken for a long, long time.

Lucy would be so heartbroken. She would cry, and nothing would be able to save her from her emotions. She would kill herself slowly with the pain of loss and regret. But, after, she would eventually walk again. She would remember what the warmth of the sun felt like. She would remember how bright the light was. She would never forget the pain, but would become stronger because of it. She would not cry anymore, but move forward, for _his_ sake. She would make him proud. She would live her life to the fullest for him. She would smile her brightest smile every day, because he hated to see her sad. She would never, ever taint _his_ name nor would she dishonour all that he was and had done. She would always keep alive his morals and values. She would keep close to her heart the thought of _him._

Lucy would forever treasure the words he had said with his last breath.

 _"_ _I love you."_

* * *

 **A/N:** So... I hope that turned out okay. I just really, really wanted to end it with "I love you"... yeah... Hope you enjoyed reading!


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